Race for Governor Sparks Engagement and Hope Among Black Voters in Mississippi JACKSON, Miss. – Tiffany Wilburn, a resident of Jackson, Mississippi, had lost faith in the power of voting a few years ago. With issues such as inadequate school books, expensive healthcare, police abuse against Black citizens, and a lack of access to clean …
Like many activists of my generation, my political awakening came through my involvement in the fight for reproductive rights. In 1986, I joined a busload of college students on a trip from New Haven to Washington, DC, holding a handmade sign in support of preserving Roe v. Wade. It was during law school that I …
The battle over red-state efforts to roll back civil rights and liberties has mainly shifted to the courts. Since 2021, Republican-controlled states have enacted numerous laws that restrict voting rights, penalize public protests, impose restrictions on transgender youth, ban books, and limit discussions on race, gender, and sexual orientation by teachers, professors, and employers. Some …
The constitutional amendment rejected by Ohio voters today did not explicitly address abortion. However, practically and politically, the defeat of the ballot initiative, known as Issue 1, was largely driven by concerns surrounding abortion rights. This marks another victory for reproductive-rights advocates following the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Republicans in Ohio, anticipating …
After the controversial ruling on abortion last summer, it was expected that there would be criticism directed towards the Supreme Court. The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which stated that there is no constitutional right to abortion, went against a widely supported precedent and took away a right that millions of people valued. …
A pregnant teenager experiencing excruciating pain as she endured a miscarriage while entangled in the barbed wire that stretches along the southern border of Texas. A 4-year-old girl collapsing from heat exhaustion after being pushed away from the wire by Texas National Guard members as she attempted to cross with her family. Texas state troopers …
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Monday, blocking a Republican-backed law in Florida that imposes new restrictions on voter registration groups. The judge, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, deemed provisions in the law unconstitutional, including one that prohibits noncitizens from collecting voter registration applications and another that mandates storage of applicant information. Judge …
Until the Supreme Court released its opinions yesterday morning, there was uncertainty about whether they would rule on Moore v. Harper, a case that could further harm American democracy. However, the Court chose to tackle the case head-on, bringing relief to lawyers and democracy advocates. The case involved the “independent state legislature” theory, which suggests …
The Supreme Court’s rejection of the independent state legislature theory reflects a cautious approach by the conservative majority justices. This theory, proposed by North Carolina Republicans in an attempt to disregard a ruling against their partisan gerrymandering, claimed that only state legislatures had the authority to set federal election rules, excluding other state actors such …
The conservative movement in red states to roll back the advancements in rights and freedoms made over the past six decades is escalating rapidly, resulting in conflicts at every level of government. Republican-controlled states are employing unprecedented tactics to shift social policies to the right, not only within their own borders but also on a …